This invention relates to an aerosol cap and has been devised particularly though not solely for use with aerosols which require a dispensing tube to be fitted to the valve of the aerosol container.
In the past, aerosol products have commonly been packed in disposable pressurized cans having an aerosol valve in one end of the can.
To assist with the application of some products which require to be placed in difficult situations with some degree of accuracy, it has been known to provide a small bore tube commonly of flexible plastics material which may have one end inserted into the outlet of the aerosol valve so that the aerosol product may be applied through the tube. Such tubes have been fastened to the aerosol can for sale by way of adhesive tape which has the disadvantages that it is slow to package and therefore uneconomical and furthermore does not provide a convenient way of retaining the tube with the aerosol can once the tube has been used for a first time. To overcome this disadvantage, it has been known to provide retaining means molded into the upright side of a cap for an aerosol container so that the tube may be held in the retaining means when not in use. Such caps have been of a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the aerosol can so that the tube may be fixed in an upright position on the outer periphery of the cap and extend down the side of the can when packed.
This arrangement has the disadvantage that a comparatively large cap must be provided of the same diameter as the diameter of the can, which is uneconomical to manufacture due to the comparatively large amount of plastics material which must be used in the manufacture of the cap. Smaller caps which engage with the upstanding flange surrounding the aerosol cap have been used to reduce the amount of plastics material required but such caps have not been suitable for the mounting of a dispensing tube.